"Do You Ever Think About the Way You Think?

As a follow up to my last post about working with people on public assistance-When I am training these folks, this is one of the questions that I ask them-"Do you ever think about the way that you think?" None of them has ever been asked this question. I ask them-why do you have the bad habits, the negative attitudes, the self-limiting beliefs, and minimal expectations for a successful future? It is because of the way that they have been influenced/conditioned by their families and by their environments. They expect to fail because no one has ever taught them to believe in themselves and their incredible, un-tapped potential.

What does society say to them? If you are African-American, female, and poor, then you must not be very smart. Of course this is not true-it is pure nonsense, but many of them believe it.

Because they have such a low opinion of themselves, I help them to see that they are in fact intelligent, capable human beings who can use their gifts to succeed in their chosen career field. This is the point where lasting change occurs-and it has little to do with the amount of money the government spends on them.

Come to think of it, this applies to all of us, doesn't it? As the saying goes-"We are what we think."

Henry Ford said it best-"Whether you think you can or you think you can't, you are right."

Helping the Poor to use More of Their Potential

I have conducted job readiness training for people on public assistance for many years. When I begin a seminar, I always ask the class to list what their greatest challenges are. The list normally includes the following:

1) no job
2) not enough money
3) not enough education
4) poor childcare
5) inadequate housing
6) no transportation

However, this list does not include the biggest challenge that almost every person on public assistance faces. It is a challenge that rarely occurs to these folks. Their biggest challenge is themselves, the way they think. Their belief system tells them that they are not very smart and they do not deserve success. Successful use of one's potential is for other people, not for them.

However, when the clients begin to think more effectively and use more of their potential, the list shown above starts to get shorter. They begin to use their gifts to solve many of their challenges. Their beliefs, attitudes, and habits begin to improve.

Some of the readers of this blog have heard me say this before, and it is worth repeating. You can "bury" our clients in benefits-triple their TANF ("welfare")check, increase their food stamps, give them childcare assistance. None of this will have any lasting effect on them unless we teach them to THINK SUCCESSFULLY.

Via my blog, I want to share what has worked for me over the years. I have trained and worked with TANF clients from several different localities in the State of Virginia. Using my approach in concert with many dedicated DSS workers, we have helped create many, many successful client stories-individuals going to work and keeping their jobs for longer periods of time ,obtaining their GED, going to college, and developing healthier personal relationships.

Do you agree with me? Can effective thinking help our clients achieve lasting success that will allow them to transition off of public assistance?